Electric needle protector for knitting machines



E. VOSSEN 2,432,954

ELECTRIC NEEDLE-PROTECTOR FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 28, 194'?mane/Woe.

l/ojse/v. /W77 I HTTORNEX portion provided with cam surfaces l2..plunger l4 extends through said tubular mem- Patented Dec. 16, 1947ELECTRIC NEEDLE PROTECTOR FOR KNITTING MACHINES Edward Vossen, Brooklyn,

Motion Devices Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication March 28, 1947, Serial No. 737,768

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an electricneedle-protector for knitting machines.

More particularly, the invention proposes an electric needle-protectorfor knitting machines provided with a plunger working through a tubularmember and provided with a pick-up finger for being moved by foreignmaterial'deposited on the needles of a knitting machine. It is proposedto associate contacts with said plunger and tubular member for engagingeach other during the operation of the needle-protector and for beingmoved out of engagement with each other when the needle-protector is seton. It is further contemplated to so design the needle protector thatthe plunger may operate right, or left, or may turn both right and leftfor closing the contacts. Thus the needle protector may be applied toneedles rotating in one or the other direction. The inventionparticularly relates to a novel arrangement for controlling theoperation of said plunger.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device as fullydisclosed and described, which is simple and durable and which may bemanufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure-Fig. 1 is a plan view of an electric needle protector for knittingmachines constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of the needle protector shown in Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2 looking from the left hand end. i

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4--4of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line E-5 ofFig. 4.

The electric needle protector for knitting machines, in accordance withthis invention. includes a tubular member I!) having a front end ber ItResilient means in the nature of an expansion spring I5 urges saidplunger l4 rear- Wards of the tubular member I 0. More specifi- N. Y.,assignor to Stop- 6 Claims. (Cl. 6615'7) cally, the expansion spring I5is mounted coaxially about a portion of the plunger I4 and acts betweena shoulder l6 formed internally of the tubular member l0 and a shoulderl1 formed externally of the plunger l4. q

A pin I8 is mounted through the front portion of the plunger l4 andengages said cam surfaces l2 for releasably holding said plunger M inits forward position. More particularly, the cam surfaces l2 have lowpoints 20 and high points 2| positioned approximately or from eachother. The high points 2| are recessed so as to form holding recesses 2|(see Figs. 1 and 3) for holding the pin l8. Stop pins 22 are mountedupon the front end portion ll of the tubular member I!) and limitturning of the plunger M to a position in which the pin I8 is disposedin the recesses 2| of the high points 2|.

A pick-up finger 24 is mounted upon the front end of said plunger l4 andis for the purpose of being moved by foreign material deposited on theneedles of a knitting machine for pivoting said plunger l4 and freeingsaid pin l8 from the high points 2| to move along said cam surfaces l2to locate the plunger l4 in a rear position.

In Figs. 1 arid-3 the dot and dash lines 25 schematically illustrate theneedles of a knitting machine. When fuzz, lint and other foreignmaterial deposits upon the knitting needles, or rotating parts 25, theywill sooner or later engage the pick-up finger 24 for operating theelectric needle protector. The arrows 26 indicate the direction ofmotion of the rotating parts 25. The dot and dash lines 24' indicate theset position of the pick-up finger 24 and the arrow 24a indicates thedirection in which the pick-up finger 24 moves from the position 24' toits off position shown in full lines on the drawing.

A stationary contact 28 is mounted on and insulated from the tubularmember ID. More particularly, the stationary contact 28 is mountedthrough an insulation member 29 which is 'mounted'through the side ofthe tubular member It. The outer end of the stationary contact 28 isprovided with a conductor collar 39. A movable contact 3| is connectedwith the plunger i4 and is adapted to cooperate with the stationarycontact 28. The movable contact 3| is in the nature of a metal ballslidably mounted in an opening 32 formed in the plunger 14. An expansionspring 33 urges the metal ball 3| outwards.

The rear end of the plunger I4 is provided wi h knob 33 by which it maybe manually ,24a. As soon as the pin the needle protector.

3 moved. A bracket is associated with the needle protector by which itmay be conveniently attached upon a post or other supporting part on theknitting machine. The bracket comprises a member 34 engaged about thetubular member In and provided with a slot or open side 35. A clampscrew 36 is mounted on and between the open side 35 by which the memberIt] may be clamped in position. A band 31 for engaging around a post orother support member on the knitting machine is formed in loop shape andhas its ends connected by screws 38 upon the sides of the member 34. Aset screw 39 threadedly engages through the member 34 and is adapted toabut the rod or post which is intended to pass through the band 31.

The pick-up finger 24 passes through an opening 40 formed through thefront end of the plunger M. A set screw 4| threadedly engages throughthe plunger 14 and has-its head engaged in the recess '42 whichcommunicates with the side of the opening 40 by which the pick-up finger24 is releasably held in position. When the set screw 4| is loosened thepick-up finger 24 may be pulled out.

The operation of the electric needle protector may be understood fromthe following.

The needle protector is shown in full lines in an off position. In thisposition the pin 1'8 is disposed in the low spots '26 of the camsurfaces I2 and the contacts 3| and 28 are engaging each other. Theneedle protector is placed into a set position 'by manually gripping theknob 33 and forcing the plunger I4 inwards and simultaneously turningthe plunger l4 so that pin l8 assumes a position across the high points2| and on the recesses 2| of the cam surfaces. In this position of theplunger M the pick-up finger 24 will be in the position indicated by thedot and dash lines 2d, and the steel ball 3|, that is the movablecontact 3| will be out of contact with the stationary contact 28.

When fuzz, lint and other foreign material accumulates on the rotatingneedles or parts 25 a time is reached when the foreign material willpush the finger 24 in the direction of the arrow H3 is moved out fromtherecesses 2|, representing the high spots of the cam surfaces l2, thepin l8 will automatically ride down the cam surfaces l2 because of theexpansion spring l5 and automatically the plunger l4 rotates as it movesrearwards. The plunger M in this way assumes its original position inwhich the contacts 28 and 3| engage each other and an electric circuitwill now be closed through It is pointed out that in the position of theplunger is in which the pin I8 is disposed across the high spots 2| ofthe cam surfaces l2, the movable contact 3| will be out of connectionwith the stationary contact 28.

The needle protector is connected in the usual stop motion system .of aknitting machine, so that when the contacts 28 and 3| engage each otherelectric current will flow to the controller of the knitting machine,which then instantly stops the knitting machine,

While I have illustrated and described the pr ferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An electric needl protector for knitting machines, comprising atubular member having a front end portion provided with a cam surface,-a plunger extending through said tubular member, resilient means forurging said plunger rearwards of said tubular member, a pin on saidplunger and engaging said cam surface for releasably holding saidplunger forwards, a pickup finger mounted on said plunger for beingmoved by foreign material deposited on a rotating part of said knittingmachine and for turning said plunger and freeing said pin to move alongsaid cam surface to locate said plunger in a rear position, a stationarycontact mounted on and insulated from said tubular member, and a movablecontact on said plunger and engageable with said stationary contact inthe rear position of said plunger.

2. An electric needle protector for knitting machines, comprising atubular member having a front end portion provided With a cam surface, aplunger extending through said tubular member, resilient means forurging said plunger rearwards of said tubular member, a pin on saidplunger and engaging said cam surface for releasably holding saidplunger forwards, a pickup finger mounted on said plunger for beingmoved by foreign material deposited on a rotating part of said knittingmachine and for turning said plunger and freeing said pin to move alongsaid cam surface to locate said plunger in a rear position, a stationarycontact mounted on and insulated from said tubular member, and a movablecontact on said plunger and engageable with said stationary contact inthe rear position of said plunger, said cam surface having a low pointand a high point.

3. An electric needle protector for knitting machines, comprising atubular member having a front end portion provided with a cam surface, aplunger extending through said tubular member, resilient means forurging said plunger rearwards of said tubular member, a pin on saidplunger and engaging said cam surface for releasably holding saidplunger forwards, a pickup finger mounted on said plunger for beingmoved by foreign material deposited on a rotating part of said knittingmachine and for turning said plunger and freeing said pin to move alongsaid cam surface to locate said plunger in a rear position, a stationarycontact mounted on and insulated from said tubular member, and a movablecontact on said plunger and engageable with said stationary contact inthe rear position of said plunger, said cam surface having a low pointand a high point, said high point being provided with a recess forreceiving and holding said pin.

4. An electric needle protector for knitting machines, comprising atubular member having a front end portion provided with a cam surface, aplunger extending through said tubular member, resilient means forurging said plunger rearwards of said tubular member, a pin on saidplunger and engaging said cam surface for releasably holding saidplunger forwards, a pickup finger mounted on said plunger for beingmoved by foreign material deposited on a rotating part of said knittingmachine and for turning said plunger and freeing said pin to move alongsaid cam surface to locate said plunger in a rear position, a stationarycontact mounted on and insulated from said tubular member, and a movablecontact on said plunger and engageable with said stationary contact inthe rear position of said plunger, said resilient means comprising anexpansion spring coaxially of said plunger and acting between shouldersformed on said plunger and said tubular member.

5. An electric needle protector for knitting machines, comprising atubular member having a front end portion provided with a cam surface, aplunger extending through said tubular member, resilient means forurging said plunger rearwards of said tubular member, a pin on saidplunger and engaging said cam surface for releasably holding saidplunger forwards, a pick-up finger mounted on said plunger for beingmoved by foreign material deposited on a rotating part of said knittingmachine and for turning said plunger and freeing said pin to move alongsaid cam surface to locate said plunger in a rear position, a stationarycontact mounted on and insulated from said tubular member, a movablecontact on said plunger and engageable with said stationary contact inthe rear position of said plunger, and a knob upon the rear end of saidplunger by which said plunger may be moved to separate said contacts.

6. An electric needle protector for knitting machines, comprising atubular member having a front end portion provided with a cam surface,

a plunger extending through said tubular member, resilient means forurging said plunger rearwards of said tubular member, a pin on saidplunger and engaging said cam surface for releasably holding saidplunger forwards, a pick-up finger mounted on said plunger for beingmoved by foreign material deposited on a rotating part of said knittingmachine and for turning said plunger and freeing said pin to move alongsaid cam surface to locate said plunger in a rear position, a stationarycontact mounted on and insulated from said tubular member, a movablecontact on said plunger and engageable with said stationary contact inthe rear position of said plunger, and a bracket for engaging a rod orsupport, said bracket being mounted about said tubular member.

EDWARD VOSSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

